News and updates

RMC Paper 1 Download - Important Information

Friday, 30 March 2012

Dear SANIRE Member, we are apologizing for any problems being experienced during the download process, but we are experiencing very large download volumes. Be patient and try again. When successful downloading please check the following:

Install Paper 1 Material

o   Download the Installer file from the website
o   Double click of the Installer and allow it to install the information on your computer
o   When done, the Installer will create an Icon on your desktop that reads 'Rock Mechanics Theory', use this icon to open the document. You do not need to open any other files, but work through th...

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MOSHing towards zero harm

Monday, 19 March 2012

Rock related safety is a major issue. The Chamber of Mines' Mine Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) initiative is helping to address it. Find out more by reading on.

In 2003, representatives of the South African Mining industry - employers, labour unions and government - set historic and significant milestones for health and safety, to be reached by 2013, en route to zero harm for all employees.

The Chamber of Mines realised that the milestones, let alone the targets, would not easily be met without significant effort on the part of mines. Therefore the Chamber of Mines Learning Hub was ...

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From maths and computers to rock engineering

Monday, 19 March 2012

Roger Johnson's enjoyment of his job is based on the people he works with; the diversity in terms of commodity, geographic location and mining method; and the challenges and opportunities to introduce new technology, better practice and improved solutions. Here, he shares some of his ideas and experiences with Rock Talk.

Roger Johnson (56) had more of an interest in sport, the outdoors, music and social activities than in academics in his time as a scholar as La Salle College on the West Rand, but that was no predictor of his future.

Today, he has a slew of degrees and other qualifications t...

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March will bring your first free downloadable paper

Monday, 19 March 2012

Comprehensive rock engineering learning material for the South African mining industry is almost complete – and you can download it for free. Read more about it.

The writing of comprehensive rock engineering material for the South African mining industry started in the first half of 2011. It should be completed by end of March this year. At the time of writing this article, Paper 1 was complete. It should be available for download, free of charge, on the Sanire website by the time you read this article. The other papers will be available for download as and when they are completed.

Why is t...

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Design of Merensky Reef crush pillars

Monday, 19 March 2012

saimmlogo2 The Bushveld platinum group metal deposits are two distinct, shallow-dipping stratiform tabular ore bodies which strike for many hundreds of kilometres. Mining is extensive, with depths ranging from close-to-surface to 2300 m. The mining method is a variation of planar open stoping. Pillars are widely employed to support the open stopes. In the deeper levels, in-stope pillars are required to fail in a stable manner soon after being cut, and the residual pillar strength is used to stabilize the hangingwall. These pillars are commonly known as crush pillars. Little work has been done in the p...

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How Tuks makes positive change a constant

Monday, 19 March 2012

The University of Pretoria's Jannie Maritz asks: Are teaching and learning really making an impact? At Tuks, he thinks they are. Read on to find out why.

The University of Pretoria's department of Mining Engineering celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011. The first mining engineering student enrolled for the degree in 1961 and subsequently graduated in 1964.

A lot has changed on and around the campus, yet one thing has stayed the same: The quality of mining engineer graduating has improved. Every year, Tuks Mining is delivering around 30 newly developed mining engineers into the industry. ...

Dec 07 2010

Education

Sanire has a strong focus on educational issues affecting rock engineers. Read on to find out what has been happening in this sphere.

Focus on education is paying off

Examination administration

Unisa will handle the administration of the Chamber of Mines (COM) examinations until May 2011. The Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) will then take over this task.

Candidates must pass the both the theory and practical examinations of the Strata Control Certificate before they can register to write the Rock Mechanics Certificate (RMC) examination.

Examination results

Poor pass rates remain a major concern against the backdrop of skills shortages in the industry.

Progress with the MQA

A few learning packs still need to be completed for the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 4 qualification. Certain training service providers are already offering the Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications. The implementation of the Level 4 certificate as the replacement for the COM Strata Control Certificate is likely to commence in 2012 or 2013 at the latest.

Transition to tertiary qualifications

Advances are being made on the transition of Rock Mechanics Certificates to tertiary qualifications. There is general agreement that the COM Rock Mechanics Certificate will be replaced by a suitable qualification pitched at NQF Level 6 and that the COM Advanced Certificate will be replaced by a suitable qualification pitched at NQF Level 7.

In both cases, there will be both a formal academic programme (stage 1 qualification), followed by an experiential learning component (stage 2 qualification), to facilitate anticipated professional registration.

Two progression routes are likely to be provided – a “certificate” route for people already employed on mines who wish to study part time and a three-year Bachelor of Engineering and Technology degree.

The first intake of candidates for the new qualifications should be in January 2013. The last COM certificate examination is likely to be in November 2015.

Professional registration

Initial discussions regarding large-scale professional registration of rock engineering practitioners have been held Johan Pienaar of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). Only those with qualifications on an NQF level 6 or higher will possibly be required to register.

Further discussions have been postponed until such time as the learning pathway, replacement qualifications and transitional arrangements have been concluded.

Learning material

Writing and editing of the learning material sponsored by the MQA started in July 2010. The process is expected to take 18 months to complete. Learning material will be made available to candidates as it is completed and Paper 1 material should be available in the first quarter of 2011.

Examination guidelines

Guidelines for the COM rock mechanics examinations has been reviewed and updated. A copy is available on the Sanire website. Major changes include a provision for the once-off grandfathering of experienced surface mining practitioners and a change to the pass rate and format of the RMC practical examination.

Proposed changes to the regulations

A letter of concern suggesting alternative wording for the Mine Health and Safety Administration regulations has been sent to the Department of Minerals and Energy in September 2009. No reply has been received as yet.

EDUtable